Can’t a three-month-old baby be held with his head upright?

A newborn baby must never be held vertically, because the baby's neck is relatively soft and the baby's neck cannot support the head. If the baby is held vertically at this time, it will cause great harm to the baby's neck and may even cause irreversible damage. As the baby grows up slowly, when the neck can support the head, he can be held vertically. So, can a three-month-old baby be held with his head vertically?

Can’t a three-month-old baby be held with his head upright?

Many babies like to be held upright by adults, and they will start crying if they are not held upright. Some babies are obsessed with being held upright before they are even a month old, and will cry if they are held horizontally. Many parents worry that holding the baby upright too early will harm the child's spine. So how old should a baby be before he can be held upright? Let’s take a look together.

Why do babies like to be held upright?

After one month, babies begin to be interested in the things around them. When the baby is held upright, his field of vision is wider and he can see more things, which can satisfy his curiosity and desire to explore. When the baby is held horizontally, he can only see the monotonous ceiling, and he will naturally be unhappy.

Most people believe that babies should not be held upright before three months old because their spine has not yet developed well and holding them upright may cause damage to their spine. It is true that the cervical vertebrae and spine of babies under three months old are not fully developed, so it is not suitable for them to be held upright for a long time, but it does not mean that they cannot be held upright at all.

We all know that babies need to be held upright and burped after feeding. This short period of upright holding will not harm the baby. However, when holding a young baby upright, parents must pay attention to the following points:

1. Do not hold the baby upright for a long time

Holding your baby upright for a long time will put too much pressure on your baby's spine and vertebrae, which is not conducive to the healthy development of the child. When parents are coaxing their children, they can hold them upright for a short period of time, but not for too long.

2. Pay attention to the vertical holding posture

When holding the baby upright, the parent should support the baby's buttocks with one hand and the baby's head with the other hand. The parent can lean back slightly and let the child lean on the adult. This can effectively reduce the pressure on the baby's cervical vertebrae and spine, and can also reduce the harm to the baby caused by shaking of the baby's head.

3. Let your child practice lying down and raising his head

Generally, babies around three months old can lift their heads for a moment when lying on their stomachs. For babies who don’t like to be held horizontally, parents can let their babies practice lying on their stomachs and raising their heads more often. This can also allow the baby to gain a different perspective and exercise the baby’s back and neck muscles.